Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canada will spend $1.24 billion to upgrade its fleet of military search and rescue helicopters in a sole-sourced deal.
That’s about $200 million more than originally planned.
Ottawa has been planning to upgrade the Cormorant fleet for years, which will include modernizing its 13 existing helicopters and buying three new ones.
A Defence Department spokeswoman says the budget was increased after a fresh round of negotiations and the updated amount accounts for new requirements, inflation and foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
